TwoSided Love
by BattousaiChic
Summary: HIATUS.After Kenshin's wife is murdered,he tries to get revenge on all the clans that hide in the shadows of Kyotobut he needs Kamiya Kaoru's help...the two slowly grow closewhat will happen when someone tries to bring them apart? B
1. Chapter One

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**TwoSided Love**

By: BattousaiChic197

**Authors Notes:** Hi, everyone! I am very excited to give all you Rurouni Kenshin fans yet another fan fiction to read. Now, I have to say that I am new at writing my own stories, meaning this is my first ever. Though, I think that I pretty much know the characters and understand them enough, to place them in my own story; so please bear with me. With school, homework, and tests, it's hard to find the time when I am in the mood to write; I don't write 24/7. I like to write whenever I am fully dedicated to it, so that I will be able to provide everyone a good story that I hope you will love. Also, I have yet to think of a good title for this story, sorry. X

So, here it is:

1) Kenshin still has his "X" shaped scar on his left cheek; he is also the Battousai.

2) Kaoru is a bit ditzy. Lol. (Just to give it some humor)

3) Warning: For any Tomoe enviers, this story is a bit based around her.

4) This an AU (alternate universe), of course.

5) There will be a _twist_ somewhere later in the story, so beware. X

**Dictionary:** In the first chapter, I kind of threw in a few small Japanese words. So I figured this little dictionary would help you out a bit.

Okami wife

Anata dear, husband

Koi love

Tsuka sword handle

Wish me luck! Happy reading! I am welcome to ALL of your comments. Especially the constructive ones!

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**Chapter One**

By: BattousaiChic197

The sun shown through the window of an apartment on 54th Avenue, Matsudo, Kyoto. Kenshin awoke to the smell of coffee and smiled to himself, remembering the previous night with his beautiful wife. He slowly got out of his King-Sized bed and walked into the kitchen.

"Tomoe?" his voice broke the silence of the apartment. Kenshin walked around in search of Tomoe, but she was nowhere to be found. When he reached the bathroom he saw that a struggle had taken place. The curtains of the shower were ripped and lightly stained with blood. Inside the bathtub were strands of Tomoe's black shiny hair, along with her bathrobe. "Tomoe!" Kenshin yelled, his worst fears coming to life. The terrified man ran back into the kitchen and slipped on a piece of paper. Kenshin picked it up and read with unbelieving eyes, full of pain and terror.

**_" We have taken your precious wife. If you do not_**

**_want her to die a slow and painful death, meet us_**

**_in the alleyway of Kawaguchi; tonight at_**

**_10 pm."_**

**_The Shinjuku Clan_**

Kenshin slammed his fist into the floor, breaking the tile as he swore in his mind.

"TOMOE!"

**9:34 PM**

The night was oddly quiet and stiff. The Kawaguchi alleyways gave off a dark aura; warning off any night visitors. Kenshin sped through the streets in his expensive black Mercedes. In his mind he swore off every possible cuss word he could think of. While in his heart, he was terrified. His love had been taken away from him by the most powerful clan in Japan. ' How am I to save her?' he silently thought, ' How am I to save her without once again becoming the Battousai…?' Kenshin's mind remembered back to that dark era in his life; when he was younger.

He was a killer, a merciless killer that had eyes full of lust; lust for blood. His sword shown throughout the night, the moon often catching a glimpse of it. Men fell to the ground, dead as stone…

Kenshin shook his head to clear his mind. "Whatever it takes," he said quietly to himself. As he neared his destination, Kenshin pulled his car over to the side of the road. He grabbed his swords out of the backseat, and carefully latched them to his belt. He walked towards the offending alley, and saw his target come out of the shadows and into sight. "Where is Tomoe!" he demanded, "Giver her back!" He looked beyond the man, to see that another figure had stepped into the light; holding Tomoe with a knife to her neck. "Tomoe…" he said under his breath; the sight terrified him. She was gagged and her hands and feet were bound with wire. Her hair was in a mess and she was scratched and bruised. Kenshin made to run after her, but was knocked to the ground by the fist of the first man.

"Oh no, there will be none of that." He stated.

"Sakura, you bastard!" Kenshin shouted as he got back to a standing position. "If you lay one more finger on her I'll…"

"You'll what? Kill me? Don't even try, my men will have you down before you could get a chance to lift your sword." Sakura countered.

Kenshin observed the man quietly, through his dark amber eyes; sizing him up. He was a rather tall man about middle-aged. His attire consisted of a formal black suit, with his dark black hair tightly pulled back away from his chiseled face. "Wanna bet?" His eyes darkened and his voice steadily grew full with rage. " What do you want?" he said, with a voice low and dangerous; meaning death.

" I would like you to join my clan. We could use your…_skills_. The Shinjuku Clan has been looking for a new assassin, since ours let slip and lost his life," Sakura frowned, " I had the idea that you could fill his place…seeing that you are very disciplined and well taught. You must be thankful for the brilliant trainer who had once taught you. What ever did happen to him?" Sakura smirked.

" He turned his back on his students and betrayed them!" Kenshin yelled, "of course you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Mind your mouth young assassin, or it will cost you your wife." Sakura countered.

Kenshin hesitated for a moment, "You're insane! I will NEVER join your clan!" His rage quickly came to a peak, "Why the hell did you bring Tomoe into this!"

" We figured that if we captured Tomoe, your lover, we would have your attention…and force you to join us. Besides, this is more fun," Sakura smirked. "Let me remind you of one thing, _Battousai_, if you don't join us you murder your own lover!" Tomoe tried to scream but was cut off when the man holding her, slammed his fist into her stomach. She slightly fell forward in the man's arms. Kenshin's heart stopped as he saw Tomoe's unconscious body, fall to the ground motionless and limp.

"Tomoe!" Kenshin yelled. His eyes turned to slits, and he instinctively went into battle stance. The assassin's right hand steadily hovered over the tsuka of his sword, preparing for battle.

His focus turned on three other men that came out from the darkness.

"I would've hoped you wouldn't do that, Kenshin." Sakura frowned, as he walked past the young assassin and left the alley.

The three men closed in on Kenshin and cornered him. Before the men could react, Kenshin had quickly jumped over them and landed in a crouching position; they were facing back to back. Kenshin made a quick turn to his right and slashed the man closest to him. The man fell to the ground with a cry of pain as his blood seeped into the ground. Kenshin attempted to make a back slash at the next man, but failed as he was knocked to the ground. One man went to make a lunge, but Kenshin adapted quickly by grabbing the man's wrists with both hands and pulled him hard forward. The man landed on his back unconscious. The thrust of Kenshin's sword into his enemies' gut ended his life in an instant. Kenshin pulled his sword out of the dead body, and gave it a quick flick to get off any strays of blood. The last and final man made a deep growl from the inside of his throat; an attempt of intimidation.

Over in the corner, Tomoe slowly gained consciousness. She opened her eyes, and quickly noted that Kenshin had just been struck in the face by the other man's fist. 'Kenshiiin!' Tomoe tried to yell but couldn't. When she saw a dead body next to her she felt as if she might be sick. But then she noticed the dead man's knife, discarded nearby. She carefully crawled towards it with some difficulty. But despite herself and the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, she grasped the bloody knife. Silently, she maneuvered the knife back and forth, trying to cut the wire; all the while she watched Kenshin fighting viciously, with a terrified look on her face. When she finally cut her hands free, Tomoe started at her feet; frantically.

A few feet away, Kenshin was held in a tight chokehold. He used the handle of his sword and violently pushed it up into the man's throat. The enemies' grip loosened and Kenshin shrugged himself free. Out of anger and annoyance, the man threw a hard blow to Kenshin's face. Kenshin, who was unprepared for the attack, took the blow and fell to the ground. He slowly opened his eyes, but could not see anything; everything was blurry. ' What the…!' Kenshin's head lulled to the side.

Just then Tomoe broke free, "KENSHIN!" she ran past the large man, and made her way towards Kenshin.

Kenshin's view slowly came back to view; but everything was still too blurry. He noticed a figure coming towards him and quickly reacted. He jumped to his feet and quickly thrust his sword forward while leaning into the blow. He felt his sword reach its target, but then time froze as he heard a familiar voice. The voice gasped helplessly for air, as Kenshin felt his world fall apart in his hands. His eyes widened in fear as he and the figure fell to the ground.

"T…T..Tomoe!" He gasped. He had fallen on top of her limp form and felt around until his hands found her face. Kenshin's view cleared and the sight did not greet him. His wife had been struck in the stomach and her blood had been strewn all about her body. Her face was bruised, and there were markings on her wrists from where the wire had been. "….okami…?"

Tomoe lifted her right hand and stoked Kenshin's left cheek. "Anata….I'm…sorry."

"No, no baby….please don't leave me!" Kenshin's grip tightened on her arms as he pulled her into a fulfilling hug. Kenshins' stray locks of hair stuck to his face as it began to rain heavily.

"….I love you, my koi.." Tomoe slowly grabbed Kenshin's dagger and raised it to his left cheek. Kenshin's cheek pierced as she created an "X" shaped cut. Her hand fell to the ground, and Tomoe's head lulled to the side as her soul faded away from the world.

"T..TOMOE!" Kenshin kissed her lightly on the lips while his blood trickled down his face and to his chin. His blood lightly dotted Tomoe's pale skin as he picked her up in his arms and stood up. It took a few minutes for Kenshin to notice that the last fighter had disappeared, but he didn't care; he felt as if he wanted to fall off the face of the earth.

Slowly, Kenshin walked home with Tomoe's limp form in his arms. His black jacket lightly swayed in the wind and rain, as Kenshin walked through the darkness of the streets; disappearing into the darkness deep within his heart.

**Read on to Chapter Two…**

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	2. Chapter Two

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**Chapter Two**

By BattousaiChic197

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**One year later...**

"Hey, Misao…" Kaoru whispered, "are you going to that weird Haunted House thing tonight?"

"Duh, of course I am! Why wouldn't I? Are you going?" She countered, not noticing their teacher, who was watching them.

"I don't know, I mean what's it like? I've never been to one."

"You're kidding!" Her voice rang throughout the classroom, "…oops."

"Miss Kamiya! Miss Machimaki! This is _not_ the time to be talking! Quiet" Mr. Yamaguchi turned his back on the girls and continued to write on the board.

Later, the girls continued their conversation as they walked to the cafeteria. "So you mean you've never, ever gone to one? You're strange. Well then, I guess you will just have to come with me tonight." Misao stated as she flirted with a group of passing boys.

Kaoru hesitated, "okay, it's not gonna give me nightmares will it?"

"No way, that is unless you can't handle it." Misao smirked.

"I can! I was just curious, is all." Kaoru defended.

"Cool, then I will come over to your house at nine. I don't want to stay at my mom's house tonight. She's having her boyfriend over, and I don't feel like dealing with his attitude towards me." Misao frowned.

"So you two still aren't getting along?" Kaoru asked.

"No, but I don't care. Mom can't force me to like him. Well whatever, I'll see you later, Kaoru." Misao walked off, eyes downcast.

"Seeya" Kaoru whispered to herself as she watched the depressed teen walk away.

The doorbell rang throughout the Kamiya house. It was a home of three floors, fancy furniture, and a lot of rooms. Kaoru lightly ran down the well-built spiraling staircase and opened the door. "Hey Misao, what's up?" Kaoru greeted.

"Oh nothing, sorry that I'm a bit early. I couldn't stand being around mom's boyfriend anymore…hey, I got an idea. Do you want to go to the movies! _Nightmare of Horrors_ just came out. We can be out of there by ten and then go over to the Haunted House." The young teen suggested.

"Sure, let me go get my wallet." Kaoru went towards the stairs, but was stopped by Misao.

"Oh, that's okay. I've got my own money, plus, I was able to sneak into my mom's wallet and snatch a few bills. I've got a good fifty dollars here; it's enough for the both of us for the whole night." Misao chirped.

"Oh, okay. Let's go!" Kaoru exclaimed.

Two hours later, the two girls left the theater and headed for the Haunted House; two blocks down. When they approached the house, Kaoru was awestruck. The building that stood before her was a large black house with buttresses that towered into the sky. Trees surrounded the house in every direction, and red leaves covered the ground like a blanket. As the wind picked up slightly, a chill was sent up and down Kaoru's spine, as the hair stood up on the back of her neck. "wow" she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

"Don't just stand there, Kaoru! Come on! Misao yelled.

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**Meanwhile…**

Kenshin ripped through the streets of Kyoto; set out for a specific destination, Kyoto's traditional fair and haunted house. As he drove, thoughts of that painful day unwelcomely entered his mind.

He gently rested Tomoe's limp form onto the black leather sofa and quietly smoothed out her hair. Her deep, empty eyes taunted Kenshin ad they stared back at him; making him sick in the stomach. Kenshin carefully closed her eyes and stood to find washcloths. When he came back to her side, Kenshin proceeded to clean up the dry blood that offended her beautiful skin tone. After a few minutes had passed, Kenshin ceremoniously wrapped Tomoe in a blanket and carried her in his arms; he left his apartment building for the cremation center.

A few hours later Kenshin returned home, and threw his coat on hi glass table set up. He slowly retreated to his black leather chair and closed his eyes. Pain ached his whole body, it was almost unbearable. Through, there was something deep inside him that boiled hot; revenge. Kenshin let his rage overpower his sorrow, as he swiftly jumped to his feet and threw his fist into the closest wall. When his fist broke the surface, he quickly retrieved it; but it was only seconds before his other fist landed itself back into the wall. Kenshin pulled it out again, but this time slowly walked into his bedroom and slammed the door shut; ignoring the pain jolting from his bleeding fists. His heart had been broken and he wasn't about to let the men get away without equal payback.

Kenshin pulled into the parking area that was quickly filling up. When he stepped out of his car, he quietly, but quickly, made his way towards the back of the building. There, he entered a backdoor and stepped into the dark, haunted interior. Kenshin stealthily walked through the dimly lit hallway; being careful as to not be seen by anyone. He searched the whole first floor, before realizing that his target wasn't there. When he got to the top floor, Kenshin quickly jumped into a dark corner when he heard someone coming…

Kaoru screamed and ran down the dark hallway, with flailing arms; her heart was beating two times faster than usual. She quickly dove into the corner of which Kenshin occupied, and hid behind him. Kenshin quickly took notice that the girl thought him to be a statue, and froze in place.

When Kaoru's breathing rate was back to normal, she slowly moved away from Kenshin and observed him. 'wow, it looks so real' she quietly thought. ' but what's so scary about him, is it the intent look on his face? Or is it his sword?' Kaoru quietly tiptoed over to Kenshin and placed one of her fingers on his hand that held the hilt of his sword. 'Cool! It feels real too!'

Kenshin tried not to blink, while the girl observed him. 'stupid girl' he thought. He stayed in his battle stance and continued to look straight-ahead. But when he felt Kaoru's warm fingertips move to the scar on his cheek, he had to fight the strong urge to gasp. As her smooth finger stroked his cheek lightly, the hair un-noticeably stood up on the back of his neck; the warmth of her body so close to his, released him of all his tensions, and he relaxed a bit. 'she's so beautiful' he thought. Though he wished he could look at her face to see her full beauty.

"Wow, he's so cute and handsome!" Kaoru exclaimed. At this Kenshin's eyes widened in surprise and snapped in her direction, before he could stop himself. Kaoru screamed and jumped back into the wall behind her. She fell to her knees and stared at Kenshin with a scared look on her face. Kenshin slowly moved out of his stance and made his way towards Kaoru; eyes unwavering. "What is your name?" he asked, when he stopped at her feet.

"Wh..what! Why should I tell you! I am the one that should be asking _you_ that question!" Kaoru yelled, as she stood to her feet.

"You stubborn girl, give me your name!" Kenshin demanded through gritted teeth.

"Hmph! Kamiya Kaoru, daughter of the richest man in Japan! Besides the emperor, that is." Kaoru stared back into Kenshin's amber eyes. 'great' he sarcastically thought. Kaoru gasped as Kenshin grabbed her wrist and started to pull her down the hallway, towards the exit.

"Come, I need your help." He demanded.

"Ugh! No! Let go of me, you perve!" Kaoru started to fight back, but fell to the ground unconscious, when Kenshin delivered her a swift punch to her stomach. Kenshin picked her up in his arms and quickly left the building. When he reached his car, he threw her in his back seat, locked the doors, and drove away.

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**Read on to Chapter Three…**


	3. Chapter Three

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**Chapter Three**

By: BattousaiChic197

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Kaoru slowly awoke on a black leather couch. As she quietly rubbed the sleep from her eyes, Kaoru quickly sat up; remembering what had happened just the last night. She looked around at her surroundings. The whole apartment seemed dark and empty. She cast her eyes into the flames of the roaring fire, and glanced at the chair placed next to it. She screamed and jumped to her feet when she noticed that Kenshin had been staring at her intently, all along.

"What did you do to me! Where am I!" Kaoru yelled, with fright and demanding in her voice.

"Damn girl, would you shut up!" Kenshin glared daggers at the girl. He liked quiet, and of course with his luck, he needed the help of a loudmouth, hormone bomb of a teenager.

"Me! You scared the hell out of me and then kidnap me! Why!" Kaoru let her anger get the better of her, and took a step towards her captor. Kenshin flew to his feet and pushed Kaoru back on the couch. She gasped and slightly cowered as he stood above her.

"I said shut up, you stupid girl! I don't have time to deal with your raging hormones" Kenshin stalked off towards what Kaoru assumed was the bathroom, because he swiftly took off his tight black tee shirt.

"Then why the hell did you kidnap me!" she yelled at him. "where are you going!"

"I'm getting a shower. Sit down and don't touch anything! I'll explain when I'm done." Kenshin answered as he proceeded into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

"ugh!" Kaoru fell back onto the couch as she heard the water begin to rung in the shower. She noticed a picture of a woman on the small, round, end table. Kaoru carefully picked it up and saw that it had been ripped in half once before. Not noticing that the water had turned off, Kaoru was startle when Kenshin ripped the picture out of her hand. "that was fast!" she thought.

"Don't touch that!" Kenshin yelled as he put the picture in his back pocket of his jeans; which were all he was wearing, Kaoru noticed.

She pulled her eyes reluctantly away from his tight abs, and quietly asked, "Who is she?"

Kenshin glared at her before he walked into the kitchen where he grabbed a bottle of Vodka and poured some into s shot glass "…my wife…" he said dryly.

"Oh!…where is she?" Kaoru asked; ashamed that she was checking out a married man.

"She's dead" Kenshin's eyes were downcast. There was a slight hint of pain that flickered in his eyes, but only for a second.

"I…I'm so sorry!" Kaoru stood up and walked to Kenshin's side. "…what happened?"

"Stop prying into other people's business, stupid girl!" Kenshin walked past her and sat down in his leather chair. "Sit down, we need to talk."

Kaoru obeyed his orders, and slowly sat down on the couch across from him, "About like why you kidnapped me?" she asked.

Kenshin leaned forward, "Yes…I need your help."

"My help? What could I possibly…"

"I'll get to that later. But first my wife, Tomoe, was murdered…" Kenshin stated, "…by my hands."

Kaoru gasped, and sunk back into the couch.

"…she was kidnapped by the Shinjuku clan. They left a note telling me to meet them in an alleyway; so I went. Apparently they have heard of me and my…past" Kenshin paused.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked; almost afraid to ask.

"I'm the legendary Battousai…" Before Kenshin could explain himself, Kaoru fell off the couch in surprise. She quickly stood up and moved away into a corner, trying to add distance between her and the Battousai. "What do you want with me! I know who you are now; I've heard the stories! You're treacherous, monstrous man who…" Kaoru gasped when it hit her **"….you're…you're my father's murderer! Get away!**" she ran to the door and tried to get out but the door was locked; she screamed for help. "Help! Somebody help me!" She quickly looked back at Kenshin and fell to the ground as he walked closer up to her. Kenshin grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet. He pushed her into the wall and held her there, so he could get her under control.

"Kaoru! Let me explain! I am the Battousai, but you are not one of my targets! I know you won't believe me, but it's the truth; I won't hurt you." He explained.

"Yeah sure! I bet that's what they all say!" She countered back.

Kenshin slapped her across the face, "Think whatever you want, I won't hurt you." Kenshin retreated back to his leather armchair and sat down. "I only kill the one's who deserve it." He grit his teeth. "The Shinjuku Clan deserves it. My wife wanted me to stop killing so I wouldn't go insane with blood lust; but I couldn't. So she spent her time making sure she was always there for me, so I wouldn't go off the deep end. Tomoe helped me, and I wish I could've done the same for her.." Kenshin trailed off. "I..killed Tomoe. In the middle of the battle, I was blinded and mistook her for the enemy..there's nothing I can do about it now. But if it wasn't for the Shinjuku Clan, none of this would have happened." Kenshin met Kaoru's slightly fearful eyes, and them cast them into the fire. "The clan is also known to sell drugs, and murder innocents like _you_."

"So…you help to keep the streets clean, by taking the lives of men, like the one's that kidnapped Tomoe?" Kaoru asked. She sat down on the couch opposite him. Though she still didn't trust him, for he was the Battousai, and he was also the man who had killed her father two years earlier; when she was fifteen.

"Right" Kenshin answered, exhausted.

"Soo…where do I come in? How am I supposed to help?" Kaoru looked at Kenshin with confusion.

"I hear that you've got this weird talent; telekinesis?" Kenshin raised an eyebrow at the across from him.

Kaoru hesitated, "how…how did you know?"

"I have my sources." Kenshin continued to watch Kaoru, pressing for an answer.

"Yes, I can. But-"

"I can use your abilities to my advantage." Kenshin cut in, "I can use you to go around Kyoto and figure out the plans that are being carried out by the Shinjuku clan…and various others. I need to stop all their malicious acts now before it goes any further; I won't let it go any further." Kenshin said through gritted teeth.

"What! No! I will not be your _tool_!" Kaoru yelled.

"Little girl, if you had a choice, I wouldn't have kidnapped you now would I?" Kenshin glared at her; his eyes tearing at hers. Kaoru's mouth opened in protest, but closed again when his stare increased with intensity. Instead, she crossed her arms, in front of her chest, and slumped further down into the couch.

"So..what now? I mean, why me? Why am _I_ the one to be your 'tool'?" Kaoru asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone of voice.

"You are not obligated to know that." Kenshin stood up and proceeded in to his room.

"I'm what!" Kaoru yelled, as she stood up also. "What do you mean I'm not _obligated_? That's a load of bull!" Kaoru's eyes slightly closed in suspicion, "..what are you not telling me…?"

Kenshin came back from his room, pulling on a tight black tee shirt. He picked up his car keys from the glass table and walked to the door. He stopped in mid-step outside the door, and turned to face Kaoru, who had been waiting for an answer the whole time. "Let's go."

"Go? Go where? Wait! You didn't answer me!" she yelled at him incredulously as Kenshin started to walk down the hall.

"You need clothes don't you? Or would you prefer to just wear that same outfit everyday?" Kenshin countered as he talked over his shoulder; already knowing her answer. Kaoru stared at him for a few short moments, and then trotted lightly to his side, as they walked to the apartment garage. 'Just like a girl. You offer them clothes or jewelry, and they bounce right back into your arms like little puppies' Kenshin mockingly thought.

When they reached the car garage, Kaoru looked around, wondering which one was Kenshins'. As they neared a little gray box-like car, Kaoru thought, 'ewe. For a Battousai he has really bad taste.' But then she was surprised to see that Kenshin passed the gray car and opened the door to the black, slick Ferrari that shined against the garage lights. 'whoa!'

"This is your car! It's soo cool!" Kaoru walked up to the car and went to touch it, but Kenshin quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

"Don't touch" he said, and opened up that back seat door for Kaoru; locking it once she was in. Kenshin slid in the drivers' seat, and started the car; he revved it a few times to warm it up. When Kenshin had reached the exit of the garage, he waited until traffic had passed before he sped into the busy streets of Kyoto.

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About half an hour later, Kenshin pulled into the main parking lot of the Higashi Ikebukuro Mall. Kenshin exited his slick Ferrari and walked around back to let Kaoru out. "Let's make this quick, I don't like to shop." Kenshin stated dryly.

"What? How can you not like it? Every girl loves to shop! We take up a whole day just hanging around at the mall. Kaoru exclaimed.

"Yea, well, I'm not a girl. So let's get this over with." Kenshin led Kaoru into the mall and suddenly stopped.

"What?" Kaoru asked.

"Damn mall is so huge, I don't know where to go first." The confused captor stated.

Kaoru laughed, "Well then, c'mon and follow me. I've been here dozens of times" Kenshin's eyes widened when Kaoru pulled him by the collar of his shirt, into the crowd after her.

A few hours later, Kenshin and Kaoru were still shopping around the mall. Kaoru held seven bags and made Kenshin hold five more for her. Kenshin was slowly walking behind Kaoru, exhausted from the many stores Kaoru had dragged him into.

"C'mon Kenshin! You of _all_ people shouldn't be tired just from walking." Kaoru called back at him.

"It's not that," Kenshin said, "let's go now." 'Oh God let me go!' Kenshin thought, 'she made me stare at her nice, lithe, body for hours, while she tried on clothes! If only she knew how much she was torturing me!'

"Go! Kenshin, can we _please_ get some food first? I'm just starving!" Kaoru pleaded.

Kenshin sighed, "Alright, but nothing expensive, you've already cost me a huge fortune with your revealing skirts and shirts."

"Hey, what's so bad about a little skin showing huh? I don't see why to guys it's such a big deal" Kaoru said flippantly.

'Oblivious girl…' Kenshin thought, 'it's always a big deal to guys…always.' Kenshin sighed in pretend defeat, and asked Kaoru what she wanted to eat.

Kaoru led Kenshin to a little food court and stepped into the waiting line. When their turn had finally come, Kaoru ordered a few hamburgers and Pepsis for them and wandered off to find a table after she told Kenshin to grab the napkins. When he started his way to the table Kaoru had claimed, he stopped when he saw two guys approach her.

"Hey baby, I'm Kano, and this is Toya. What's your name sweetheart?" Kano leaned onto the table Kaoru was sitting at.

"You look like you need some lovin'. Come with us." Toya whispered in her ear, as his right hand slid up to her thigh.

Kaoru jumped away from them and yelled, "no way you pervs!"

"Oh, so it's like that, huh?" Kaoru shut her eyes tightly when Kano grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her back. His free hand slowly slid up her thigh and dug his fingers into her thigh. Meanwhile, Toya had moved up close to Kaoru, and started to whisper cruel ministrations of which he would act out on her. As soon as his hand moved up to Kaoru's chest, Kenshin ran up and pushed him away.

Kano stepped back; letting Kaoru go. Kaoru fell to the ground stunned and slowly crawled closer to the table. "What the f-?" Kenshin grabbed Kano by his leather jacket and pulled him in closer.

"You leave Kaoru-dono alone." Kenshin demanded through grit teeth. His eyes sent off a dangerous aura about him. Kano cowered under Kenshin and pleaded his forgiveness. When Kenshin delivered a swift kick, he walked away and pulled Kaoru lightly to her feet; meanwhile, the two guys quickly ran away, defeated. "Kaoru?" Kaoru didn't respond, she continued to stare into nothingness and started to shake. Kenshin grabbed a women walking by and paid her to carry Kaoru's bags. Kaoru easily let herself ease into Kenshin' warm embrace as he picked her up into his arms; she was too traumatized to move. She had never been harassed before, never been touched before, and felt dirty to know that her body attracts men in that sort of way. When Kenshin reached his car, he sat Kaoru in the backseat, and then placed the bags in the trunk. When he got back into the drivers' seat, he saw that Kaoru had lain down, and noticed faint, little, pools of tears building on the edge of her eyes. Slowly, Kenshin drove away from the Higashi Ikebukuro Mall, and back to his apartment.

* * *

When Kaoru awoke, the same dark, empty apartment invited her again; though now it was probably nighttime. Kenshin noticed that Kaoru had woken, and got up from his chair and walked to her side. As Kaoru sat up, Kenshin knelt down beside her and asked quietly, "Are you okay?" Kaoru took a few slow breaths to steady her emotions to prevent herself from crying.

"I..I'll be okay…It's just…I didn't know that my body could possibly attract men like that…I didn't think…" Kaoru trailed off, and ran her hand through her slightly tangled hair. Kenshin didn't know how to handle situations like this, so he just sat there listening to her. His hand slowly went up to her back to comfort her, but she jumped away. "No.." Kaoru said, looking confused while shaking her head. Kenshin quickly retreated, and stood up. 'She may be an annoying teenager,' he thought 'but she must not have been loved by anyone, truly. I bet no one ever told her how beautiful she was, in a kind way. This is why I must stop the clans that hide in the shadows of day and come out at night; to either satisfy their greedy lust or to kill.' The idea of it just made him sick. Kenshin walked over to his kitchen table and grabbed a plate of food that was meant for Kaoru. When Kenshin got back to Kaoru's side, he offered her the plate, and she slowly took it from his hands.

"Can I take a bath?" Kaoru quietly whispered, "I feel so…dirty"

"Of course you can, the towels are in the cupboard in the bathroom. Of all the clothes you bought, we should have gotten you a bathrobe; you can you mine." Kenshin offered.

Kaoru slightly laughed, "thank you." And when she finished her meal, she quietly padded down the hall and into the bathroom. Kenshin watched as the girl disappeared into the dark bathroom of his. When the door shut, and he saw light underneath the door, Kenshin went back to his chair and sat down; but only to get right back up when the phone rang. When Kenshin answered, he was greeted by a low, smooth voice of a man.

"We've got a group of men lurking in-between the alleys of Choshu and Shichijo; you know what you've got to do. Get to it." The man hung up without another word. Kenshin placed the phone back in its cradle and went to pull on his leather jacket. 'Damn Katsura,' he thought, "it's all for the better of Kyoto." He said aloud, reassuring himself. When he came back from his room after retrieving his swords from a glass cabinet, he fastened them around his waist and hid them under his jacket. Kenshin left a note on the table for Kaoru, explaining that he had an errand and would be back later. He left the apartment, and made his way to his car, preparing for his next battle.

Kaoru stepped out of the bath, feeling a little bit more refreshed. She grabbed the black robe Kenshin had offered her, and secured it around herself, tying the sash tightly shut. When she exited the bathroom, she found that the apartment was empty and noticed Kenshin's note on the table.

I've gone out on an errand; be back late. Make yourself

comfortable, and get some rest. You can sleep in my bed,

I'll sleep in the chair.

-Kenshin-

Kaoru set the note back down, and decided to look around Kenshin's apartment. She noticed that there was no television, or radio, not even a computer. 'What the hell does this man do? He's got nothing in this apartment of his," Giving up on finding something entertaining, Kaoru decided to go to sleep. She crawled in Kenshin's big, fluffy bed and burrowed herself under the covers.

"Mou. I don't know what to do." She whispered aloud, "he won't let me go, but how can I trust him? He killed my father….and he never did answer my question. There's something he's hiding from me, I know it…." Slowly, Kaoru's eyelids grew heavier, as she pondered this thought for a long while. Finally, sleep welcomed her into yet another relaxing episode; all problems and concerns would have to wait, for the next day.

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**Read on to Chapter Four...**


	4. Chapter Four

**Author's Notes:**Hello everybody! I have not given you the next chapter of my story. (I hope you guy's like it so far. ) I'm really happy for the few reviews that I've got already; thank you. Oh, and I am also in the process of thinking up a second story that'll possibly be called "Fear". Since I started this first story, I've been having ideas flowing in almost non-stop; this is all just so much fun. Hopefully with each story I'll get better.  Well enough of this boring stuff, I'll leave you to your reading.

**Disclaimer:** Attention. I **do not** own Rurouni Kenshin or any of these characters (I wish ) though this plot is souly my own and I hope you all enjoy it.

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**Chapter Four**

By: BattousaiChic197

* * *

Kenshin came home late that night. After slaying the group of undeserving men, he came home to find Kaoru sound asleep in his bed. He sat in his chair, releasing himself of all stresses. Slowly Kenshin fell into a dreamless abyss that gradually slid into a gnawing nightmare…

Kenshin look around him but could see nothing but fog. He slowly walked into

Nothingness as the air closed in around him. A figure appeared and stood, staring at

Him. After realizing who it was, he tried to yell but couldn't. The air, there was not

Air, Kenshin felt as if he were being suppressed under water. He swam towards his

Lost wife and tried to reach her, but he was held in place. Kenshin was forced to swallow the water while he gasped for air; thrusting his arm towards the surface he noticed

The water turning red…blood red. The new color drifted all about him; he was drowning

In her blood. Her blood was haunting him, and soon he wasn't able to handle it. Kenshin's vision weakened and blurred…. "Tomoe…" his desperate whisper

Escaped into the water, then came Darkness…

"Aargh!" Kenshin' eyes shot open as he quickly sat forward, hands messaging his throat.

He tried to catch his breath, his blood red bangs clinging to his sweat-broken face. Pulling out his picture of Tomoe, Kenshin stared at it with amethyst eyes. "Baby…" he whispered. "Oh god baby, I miss you…" his voice choked as he tried to fight the tears. For hours, Kenshin sat in his chair looking at his beloved wife; wishing he were the one gone instead of her. He sat in the darkness, hating himself, blaming himself…despising himself…

The next morning, Kenshin woke to find Kaoru attempting to make a fire. She was dressed in a white robe she had bought the day before. She ran her delicate fingers through her slightly ruffled hair, and returned back to the small fire she had created. Her brows furrowed in concentration, and she slowly glanced over her shoulder at Kenshin; jumping slightly when she noticed Kenshin had been watching her through careful eyes.

"I..It was getting cold in here; so I thought I'd try to make a fire." Kaoru said after a moment of silence, casting her eyes away from the man observing her. When he didn't respond, she said "I also tried to make some breakfast, but there wasn't enough food," she stood up and moved her hands over her robe; flattening out any wrinkles.

"We'll go out for breakfast then. If you'll get dressed, I'll take you to the Pancake House downtown." Kenshin answered quietly, averting his eyes away from the form-fitting robe she wore.

Fifteen minutes later, Kaoru left Kenshin's room smelling of hair spray, and perfume. She was clad in a white, fuzzy sweatshirt with a pair of hip-hugger jeans. Her hair was up in a tight ponytail that just barely brushed her smooth shoulders. While Kenshin was dressed in the usual black shirt and jeans, along with his knee-length black overcoat.

"Do you ever wear anything other than black?" Kaoru asked.

"No." Kenshin answered before starting his leave of the apartment.

'Hmm…he must not be a morning person…' Kaoru thought, "I think that someday you should try something other than black." Kenshin ignored her last remark and shut the door behind them and led the way to the car garage.

* * *

Soon they pulled into the parking lot of the Pancake House. Once Kenshin was out of the car, he opened the back door for Kaoru. As they entered the restaurant a pretty lady dressed in a red outfit showed them to a table located near the back.

"So what do you want?" Kenshin asked when they were seated.

"Ummm…" Kaoru opened the long menu to look at her options. She slowly scanned the list and finally decided. "…I'll have the ….stack of blueberry pancakes. What'll you have?" she looked at Kenshin with gleaming blue orbs.

"Nothing." He said after a moment.

"What? You've got to have something…at least have some eggs or something." She insisted. Before Kenshin could respond, a different waitress approached the table and asked for their order; Kaoru took charge then. "He'll have two eggs, and I'll have the stack of blueberry pancakes." The waitress quickly took down the order and walked away before Kenshin could interrupt; he looked at Kaoru with cool eyes.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"What? Oh, you have got he eat something." She answered simply.

"Why would you care if I ate or not? I'm your captor…if anything you'd want me to starve." Kenshin said flatly, mumbling the last few words.

Kaoru perched up in her chair, "Because, it's not healthy if you don't eat, and I don't care if you are my captor I still don't want you , or anyone for that matter, to starve to death."

Kenshin ignored her simple explanation and leaned back in his seat. Changing the topic he asked, "so what can you do with this whole telekinesis thing? I want to see proof." He said with crossed arms.

Kaoru was surprised by his sudden question and thought a moment before answering, "I can move many things with my mind; chair, spoons, tables…I'm not sure about really big and heavy objects though."

"Can I see?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru set her spoon in the middle of the small table and stared at it with pure concentration. Kenshin watched with a hint of amusement crossing over his handsome features. As Kaoru continued to concentrate, the spoon slowly started to move and wobble. Kenshin's eyebrow slightly arched as he watched the spoon move across the table with ease, and then shoot up into the air; leveling with the tip of his nose. Kaoru laughed as Kenshin quickly pushed the spoon back down to the table; looking around to see if anyone had noticed.

A few moments of peaceful silence passed, when finally the waitress showed up with their food. Kaoru gratefully started to lavish the hot pancakes with butter. While she drowned her pancakes in syrup, she asked, "so, what happens now…umm.."

"Kenshin, you can call me Kenshin." Slowly he started to cut at his slightly burnt eggs. "what do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, what about my family, friends, and school…surely they'll know something's up. And what about me? What will I be doing in the meantime?" Kaoru asked.

"You will be helping me and a few other 'comrades', if you can call them that, to banish the criminals and clans that lurk in the darkness of Kyoto. Miss Kamiya, your help could be very essential to bringing Kyoto into a new, better era…" Kenshin paused to eat a small parcel of his egg, "You could help by distracting the guards of their clubs, while I sneak through the back and do my part of the job. Or you could get hold of their papers that consist of their future plans…anything would be helpful." Slowly he took a sip from the glass of water the waitress had just handed him. "And as for your family and friends…I'll figure something out. Maybe I can get you to visit every once in a while and you can still go to school; unless we need you. You'll be staying at my apartment, so if we allow you to go to school, one of us will be with you; just to make sure you don't run off, or do any crazy shit like telling someone what we're doing…" he said with a small smirk.

Kaoru closed her eyes, taking in all that he was saying. She took a deep breath, "fine. But I demand to see my cousin Yahiko, and my best friends Takani Megumi and Misao Makimachi. I want to be able to hang out with them without feeling as if I'm a prisoner because of my 'guards'' presence." Kenshin just continued to eat his breakfast. "are you listening to me!" she exclaimed.

"You are quite a demanding young girl Miss Kamiya. And yes, don't worry; your guard will not be in the way, he is just merely there to make sure you don't screw up our plans. And why are you so insistent about your cousin?" he asked.

"Because, he and I are very close. My mom's sister adopted him; his family abandoned him when he was only a baby. I can sort of understand how he feels. My mom is in the hospital with leukemia and my father…well you already know, he's dead…so I never really have someone to talk to, unless it's Yahiko or my friends." Kaoru looked down at her half-eaten pancakes, which were now growing cool. As if pulling herself out of her depressed state, she jumped up in her seat and exclaimed, "and I am _not_ young! I'm seventeen! And may I ask how old you are!"

Kenshin's lips curled up in a small smile as he watched her beautiful appearance and persistent personality glow in front of him. Teasing her, he answered, "Guess."

Kaoru smiled back. "umm…nineteen?"

"No."

"Eighteen?"

"Nope, higher."

"Oh,…twenty-one?"

"No."

"What! C'mon!" Kaoru looked at him in disbelief.

"What? I'm not lying. Go on." He smirked back at her, their eyes meeting for a few delicate seconds, but then they were interrupted by the waitress.

"Will that be all for today? May I take your plates?" she softly asked. Kenshin nodded and the women walked off with their plates, coming back with their check seconds later. He quickly paid and started for the door with Kaoru following close behind.

As if they had not been interrupted, Kaoru perked up, "Twenty-two? C'mon tell me!"

Kenshin chuckled to himself and waited until they had reached his car to respond. He opened the back door of his slick Ferrari, "Twenty-eight."

"What! No you're not! I don't believe you!" Kaoru walked passed Kenshin and sat in the front passenger seat. Kenshin stared after her in plain amusement, still holding the door wide open. He chuckled to himself once again and shut the door; seating himself in the driver's seat he put the car in gear.

* * *

When the two returned back to Kenshin' apartment room on the fifth floor, Kenshin was not surprised to find his 'comrades' waiting for him.

Aoshi stood from the chair he was sitting in. He put his hand out towards Kaoru to shake hers, while introducing himself. "I am Aoshi Shinormori, I am Kenshin's fellow assassin." Kaoru hesitantly shook the man's hand, looking at Kenshin to see his expression. Indicating the man standing in the shadows near the fire, he said, "And he is Saito Hajime. Don't mind his cocky, sarcastic attitude."

"Fuck you, Aoshi." The assassin left his leaning position on the wall and walked towards Kaoru. Kaoru unconsciously hid behind Kenshin, as the man towered above them both; giving off an intimidating aura. "This little bitch is supposed to be of help to _us_? All she'll do is get in the way, we should just dispose of her now, somewhere in the streets; she knows to much." Saito looked thoughtful for a moment, "then again…" he quickly grabbed Kaoru's wrist and pulled her into him with a vice-like grip. "she could make a nice little toy for me, my last one broke, I need a new one." He pouted. Kaoru whimpered as she struggled to get out of his sick embrace.

Kenshin pushed Saito harshly into the wall behind him; holding his hand firmly into his foe's throat. "You will keep your fucking hands off of her." he said in a dangerous, threatening tone, "if you touch her…I _will_ kill you."

Saito pushed Kenshin away, and lurked back into the shadows, "are you gonna tell me you never thought about it, Battousai?" he smirked.

"I would never mistreat Miss Kamiya!" Kenshin said through grit teeth.

"Right, we'll just see about that. I'm curious to see how you could handle yourself when you're alone together. You're manly desires bursting uncontrollably; with no one to stop you…"

Kenshin stayed silent for a few small moments while Kaoru watched him in confusion; slowly becoming uneasy. Suddenly without warning, Kenshin lunged after Saito and landed a harsh blow into his stomach. The force of his punch was strong enough to push Saito hard against the wall opposite him. "Get out…" Kenshin said dangerously. "And if you **_ever_** come near Miss Kamiya, I **_will_** kill you with no hesitation what so ever!" his amber eyes clashed against his foe's black ones, and they flickered against the small light of the fire; as if they were dancing to an erotic melody. Kaoru backed away, hiding from the tall assassin's lustful glare.

"You are already this protective over the little bitch? I'll say I'm not surprised. But I'm also going to say that I will always be here, and I will not stop trying to make her mine, Battousai." Saito said dangerously and began his leave.

"Then you will find yourself in the depths of hell before could ever lay a finger on her!" Kenshin yelled after Saito, who was now just out of the apartment door, slamming it shut.

Silence filled the room along with heavy tension and uneasiness. Kaoru shifted uncomfortably and decided she needed to get some time to herself. "Kenshin, I'm going to go take a bath. Is that ok?" she asked. Kenshin nodded his approval, and Kaoru walked down the hall into the dimly lit bathroom; gently closing the door behind her.

Aoshi and Kenshin stood in silence for a few more moments, wondering what to do next. Finally Aoshi started the conversation, "So how's it all coming? What's your next move?"

Kenshin padded into the small kitchen and pulled out a couple of glasses, "it's ok I guess. The girl showed me what she could do and she could be of some good use to us." He grabbed a clear, glass bottle of Vodka, "want any?"

"Sure, why not?" Aoshi answered as he walked up to Kenshin to retrieve his glass. He slowly brought the glass to his nose, inhaling the intoxicating smell of the liquid he loved so much. "So tell me, do you find her attractive?" he pressed with a slightly mischievous expression.

Kenshin did not reply immediately, he waited so long to reply that Aoshi thought he would not answer. But after a few more seconds Kenshin did answer with a quiet, guilty tone, "yes…but Tomoe is my wife, I would not dishonor her-"

"Was" Aoshi cut in.

"What?" Kenshin looked up at his fellow assassin.

"She _was_ your wife. She's no longer alive and it has been a year now; move on. I'm not saying you have to cease your plan of revenge but that longing revenge will not bring her back." Aoshi stated coolly. He poured himself some more Vodka, and seated himself on the leather couch; leaving Kenshin his leather chair so they could talk.

"I know but still-"

" 'Still' what? Do you think you'll dishonor Tomoe if you move on?" Kenshin's fellow assassin leaned back against the couch after seeing that he had no reply. "C'mon Kenshin. Quit being a pussy."

Kenshin sat in his chair silently thinking about his colleagues' words. He did in fact think that if he moved on he would dishonor his wife. Tomoe had meant the world to him, and he doesn't think he'll ever be able to move on without feeling guilty.

Aoshi stood up and set his glass on the counter. "I'm leaving. You may sit here and _think_ about having a life and moving on, but nothing will ever happen. She's not coming back, so you just have to deal with that and move on." The wise but strong assassin left Kenshin to himself, alone in the dark.

* * *

Kaoru closed her eyes and fell into a tranquil sleep. The hot water encased her in a relaxing world that she so loved to escape to in times of confusion and uneasiness. Times of need when no one was around to comfort her. Steam filled the bathroom, blanketing the mirrors that hung on the walls, leaving Kaoru alone to herself in a safe distant fantasy. Slowly though, she was coming back to reality and noticed the water was Luke-warm. She was guessing that about a half hour had passed while she was dreaming peacefully in her own small fantasies. Reluctantly, Kaoru lifted herself out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around her that had been hanging on the wall. After drying herself off, she grabbed her clothes and began to put them on once more. Leaving the bathroom, she noticed that Kenshin had fallen asleep with a pained look on his face. She walked up to the man cautiously and watched him through blue concerned orbs. Stepping closer, she reached out one of her slender hands and stroked his cheek. 'Poor Kenshin. I can only imagine what you go through every day.' Kenshin's expression relaxed a little bit, and she wondered if it was because of her touch. After looking for a blanket, Kaoru returned back to Kenshin and gently placed the blanket over his limp, exhausted form. She sat on the couch opposite Kenshin and watched him as he slept.

"Oh Kenshin," she whispered, "I'm so sorry for what you have to go through."

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**Read on to Chapter Five…**


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